Radiation from Wi-Fi router. Is a Wi-Fi router in an apartment harmful: myths and scientific research

Particularly inquisitive minds have been trying to discover and prove the harm of WiFi for decades, but from the point of view of science, in their attempts they have not advanced a single step during all this time. In general, the issue of regulating radiation and any harmful factor is a difficult issue, because long-term studies with thousands of participants are required. Not every research laboratory has such resources and is ready to spend them on an already resolved issue.

Radiation in ancient times

I would like to say that radiation began to surround us only in the 20th century, but this is not entirely true. More likely, it’s not at all like that:

• Some evolutionists believe that it was thanks to the increased background radiation in the mountainous regions of Africa that much-needed mutations occurred in the genome, and evolution itself became possible.
• There is natural radiation from our planet, which has been at the same level for the last few million years.
• Most radiation from space is “filtered” by the atmosphere and the ozone layer. There is radiation even in the sun's rays, but only a small fraction of it reaches the earth's surface.
• In mountainous regions, the natural background was always slightly higher, due to the surface occurrence of radioactive elements.

So even our distant ancestors were not 100% protected from the harmful effects of radiation, but this did not stop them from building civilizations, forming many cultures and inventing everything that surrounds us.

Wi-Fi radiation

Once upon a time, data transfer was possible only using wires, but this doctrine has long been abandoned thanks to technological progress:

Today everyone actively uses Wi-Fi, but perhaps in the next decade another more reliable and faster data transfer option will be developed and implemented.

The current level of technology makes it possible to provide a small town with high-quality Internet using just a couple of “towers.” But from a commercial point of view, this is completely unprofitable, especially for current providers. Cheap and fast internet without all those wires? Why then take money from users?

Harm from radiation

To provide the most objective information possible, it is necessary to consider any issue from two different points of view. First, it’s better to familiarize yourself with the arguments of those who consider Wi-Fi an absolute evil:

1. There is a router in almost every apartment; in apartment buildings, radiation from dozens of devices is summed up at once and all this affects the body.
2. Few people turn off equipment when they are not using it. As a result, the harmful effects occur 24 hours a day, every day.
3. The radiation is capable of passing through stone walls and metal objects; it will certainly “pierce” a person through.
4. During peak loads on the network, radiation should often increase, and this already has a serious impact at the cellular, and maybe even at the molecular level.

It is not at all difficult to understand and even accept such logic. There is a source of radiation, and it emits almost constantly. But there is not only one such source; almost every living space already has a router.

Effective action is something in the region of 70 m; it’s scary to imagine how many working devices can be counted in such a radius. And all this somehow affects the body.

Wi-Fi Radiation Safety

The more optimistic part of the population cites scientific research data as arguments. Unfortunately, there is no “universal” router. Just as there are no “universal” telephones, microwave ovens, televisions, or computers.

The radiation power of a device depends on the manufacturer and the specific model, so research results may vary significantly in terms of absolute numbers, but trends the output is always the same:

• The radiation power of the router is several times less than the radiation power of an ordinary mobile phone.
• The microwave oven “wins” this race by a margin of 50-100 thousand times.
• The constant radiation of a working TV is 6-8 times higher than that of a router.
• Computers and laptops are only several times more active than Wi-Fi points.

Those. One hour of operation of a microwave oven replaces 50 thousand hours of wireless Internet distribution. Over 6 years of operation, the same radiation exposure as an hour from a stove, and this is based on the most conservative calculations. After this, it is difficult to take the “real threat” of radiation from Wi-Fi seriously.

A good example can be given with a mobile phone; this device produces loads several times greater, constantly being in close proximity to the body. If you are afraid of Wi-Fi networks, you should generally walk a kilometer away from mobile phones. But where in the modern world can one find a whole kilometer of area without these devices? Possible only in deserts, forests, taiga, mountains.

Radiation standards

Hygiene regulates many more parameters than it might seem at first glance. Radiation also falls into its “area of ​​responsibility”; maximum permissible limits have been established for all types, which were developed as a result of many years of research.

So, even the most powerful router gives several hundred times less than the maximum permissible level, so from a scientific and medical point of view, all such fears are completely unfounded. The world around us is full of real threats; you shouldn’t come up with mythical problems, otherwise life will become too complicated.

Is Wi-Fi harmful?

Scientists honestly tried to detect the harm from Wi-Fi radiation, but they encountered one significant problem. Her name is statistical data . It just so happens that the level of influence of wireless Internet networks on a person:

• Tens of thousands of times less than from the action of microwave ovens.
• Much less influence from mobile phones and laptops.
• Ten times weaker than the radiation of televisions.

We are surrounded by many sources of radiation; each person is affected every second by at least a dozen routers, not to mention other equipment. Even just reading something on the Internet, a person is exposed to radiation from a computer, laptop or tablet. Going to the kitchen involves getting a dose from other electrical appliances.

Don’t panic right away; radiation exists in nature. We absorb it every day, accumulating certain doses every year. But the body of a healthy person is able to cope with such loads and has been successfully fighting them for tens of thousands of years. So there is no need to acquire tin foil hats and other “stuff”.

Scientists have not proven the harm of WiFi; more precisely, arguments have been given in favor of its relative safety. So this night and all subsequent ones you can sleep peacefully, without any “jammers”.

Video about the dangers of Wi-Fi radiation

In this video, mobile phone repairman Roman Denisenko will conduct experiments and measurements of radiation from a wi-fi router and determine how real the harm of wifi is to humans:

And another video lesson in which the same Roman proves, using a radio wave intensity analyzer, that wi-fi is not harmful to health:

In this article we will discuss one of the questions that readers often ask - how does radiation from a router affect human health? A router is an active network device (performs the functions of an Internet gateway) necessary for connecting networks that differ in network addresses, data transfer protocols and network interfaces.

Typically, a router (router) is located at the junction of 2 networks and has a WAN port. Through this port, the router connects to the provider's network. In addition, the router is equipped with several LAN ports, through which the router connects to computers on the end user’s local network. The main purpose of the router is to select the most optimal directions for data transfer between various nodes on the network. If you look at it globally, the Internet is interconnected by a large number of routers. An ordinary user, while on the Internet, may not even be aware of this. Currently, Wi-Fi routers, or otherwise called wireless routers, are becoming increasingly widespread. Many people often worry about whether a Wi-Fi router is harmful? Let's try to understand this painful issue.

Purpose of Wi-Fi routers

Wi-Fi routers allow you to create your own wireless Wi-Fi networks right at home. Various laptops, netbooks, tablets or smartphones are equipped with built-in Wi-Fi adapters to interact with the router. In principle, you can also buy a Wi-Fi adapter for a desktop computer if it is not possible to connect the PC using a cable. But the advent of Wi-Fi routers has also given rise to many questions among users. Most modern routers allow you to simultaneously use both a wired and Wi-Fi connection.

Such routers make it possible to distribute the Internet to several users in an apartment at once, which is undoubtedly very convenient. But, if you can connect a limited number of devices using a cable (the number depends on how many LAN ports the router has), then using Wi-Fi you can connect an almost unlimited number of smartphones or laptops (in fact, the number of connections is limited only by the speed of your Internet connections).

Is a wifi router harmful?

If you rummage well in the literature or on various Internet forums, you can find a large amount of fragmentary and contradictory information about the dangers of wireless networks for the human body. A number of organizations have repeatedly raised the issue of banning the use of wireless networks on the premises of schools and other educational institutions.

At the same time, many research institutes present a number of arguments that refute the idea that the router is harmful. It is very difficult to figure out who is actually right, since the concept of harm itself is very vague, and if you wish, you can even prove the harm of slippers.

Basic radiation parameters of the router

The main and most important parameter that affects the human body is called the absolute optical radiation power. The optical power of radiation is measured in decibel milliwatts (dBm). Any mobile phone emits radiation power equal to 27 dBm. The main dose of radiation occurs at the time of calling the subscriber and searching for a mobile network signal. Therefore, if at this moment the device is at a short distance from a person, it can have a negative effect on the body. The main condition for this is the duration of the radiation provided. Whether a router is harmful also depends on its location in the apartment and its distance from the residents. The radiation power of the wireless router is around 20 dBm. Moreover, unlike a mobile phone, this equipment is most often located at a distance of at least one or two meters. Therefore, even when compared with mobile communications, the radiation from the router on a person turns out to be several times less.

According to the HPA (Health Protection Agency), which is an official organization located in England and responsible for ensuring the health safety of residents of the islands of Britain, today there is no direct evidence that the router is harmful to human health. Any wireless equipment has very low radiating power, which is simply not able to cause any harm to the body. The radio frequencies used in Wi-Fi equipment are analogues of conventional radio frequencies that have been used for decades in FM radio and television equipment. Therefore, we can safely say that the harm from Wi-Fi networks is comparable to the harm that can be caused by any other radio networks, and as we know, no casualties from the radiation of an FM receiver have yet been recorded. Of course, whether a router is harmful to health is up to everyone to decide for themselves, but at least modern science says that radiation from Wi-Fi routers is absolutely safe.

The World Wide Web of the Internet has tightly enveloped the entire modern world. Today it is difficult to imagine the work of banks, shops, cafes, airports, and various institutions without the Internet. Many of us strive to use it without various obstacles and barriers. This, of course, is facilitated by wi-fi, invented in 1991. It has been used by people for almost a quarter of a century, but information about its harmful effects on humans is not distributed.

This device emits low frequency waves equal to 2.4 GHz, the same as in. US scientists have found that radio waves with a frequency of 0.5-2.4 GHz have an adverse effect on humans. The nervous system is the first to subtly receive negative effects wireless connections. American medical workers began to see patients with headaches, general malaise, and a sharp decrease in vision more often. Researchers from Denmark have already warned: wi-fi - negatively affects living organisms and causes headaches. It also turned out that some people are susceptible to allergic reactions to “invisible” wireless networks. Migraines became more frequent. Doctors do not claim that the increase in patients is associated only with widespread wi-fi, since its impact on humans has not been fully studied.

But scientists have already discovered harm from these frequencies. For example, specialists from Sweden found that this type of radiation deteriorates memory, thinking, even the absorption of calcium in the body worsens, and “fatigue syndrome” occurs. There are hypotheses about the influence wi-fi on a living organism at the cellular level. In particular, it is stated about changes in DNA and the appearance of chromosomes - mutants.

Western scientists have clearly confirmed that nets are harmful to a growing organism. Many interested and competent parents are sounding the alarm, worried about the health of their children. Therefore, many schools and preschools in the US and UK have introduced a ban on wi-fi.

Wi-fi technologies have a pathogenic reaction on all living things, including plants. Interested companies, of course, oppose the conclusions of scientists and claim that radiation on organisms is minimal and absolutely harmless. But many studies have already been conducted that prove the opposite.

For example, scientists at the oldest University of Wageningen in the Netherlands decided to conduct a scientific experiment, and for a quarter the close radiation of wi-fi to trees (ash) did not stop. After the study period, signs of radiation damage were found on the trees: darkened, wrinkled leaves, a decrease in the amount of moisture in the plants, cracks in the trunks and general wilting of the ash trees.

There is also a widely known case of observing the impact of a constantly running router near planted plants. This happened in Denmark, according to Newsru.com with reference to ABC News. Students began to notice a deterioration in attention, concentration, and concentration in classes if they fell asleep at night with their mobile phone connected to the network. It’s impossible to conduct an experiment without special tools, so he and his biology teacher, Kim Horsweid, decided to experiment with plants.

High school girls planted watercress in boxes, half of them were placed in a room with wi-fi turned on, and the other half in a room without wireless networks. After two weeks in the second room, the seeds sprouted safely and began to germinate, but the seeds that were under the influence of frequencies sprouted poorly and weak sprouts appeared, darkened and died. The clarity of the experiment is undeniable and this has interested world scientists, for example, a professor at Karolinska University in Sweden, who may be studying this phenomenon with scientific precision in laboratory conditions.

There has been a lot of discussion about this in Denmark. Some denied the harmful effects of routers and found other versions of this phenomenon, for example, the lack of moisture in plants. But what smartphones and other devices connected to wireless networks are potentially dangerous to human health, it is quite acceptable.

The experiments carried out with plants make us think and protect the person himself from the harmful effects of such a familiar, daily used gadget.

For example, in several Canadian schools, parents of students suggested that the educational institution use only wired Internet technologies, as students complained of headaches, nausea, insomnia and rapid heartbeat due to the use of wireless Internet. Of course, more serious and global research work is required to deeply study the negative effects of wi-fi on the human body. Technologies should be released and implemented on a large scale after more detailed and in-depth study of them.

In apartment buildings, almost every family uses technology wireless Internet transmissions. For example, when setting up to connect to wi-fi in the yard near the entrance, several dozen logins “pop up”. We do not pay attention to the harmful effects of networks on our own cells, on the health of our loved ones. Also next door to us live grandparents, those people who do not need the Internet at all, and especially its negative impact on the body. And low-frequency waves cover vast distances without barriers or obstacles. This is similar to “passive smoking”.

Therefore, it is necessary to think about this issue and, taking care of the future, take measures to protect your loved ones from this seemingly invisible “threat”. We also must not forget about the people living nearby, show respect, responsibility and care. While we cannot say for sure how much harm wi-fi causes, it may cause less harm than other household appliances and means of communication. But in order to be calm for our health and the people around us, we must adhere to the basic rules:

• Turn off the router at night or for periods when the Internet is not in use;
• Keep children away from sources of radio waves if possible;
• Install the router away from the workplace;
• Do not hold the device receiving the signal on your lap.

All the best and harmonious to everyone!

Whether Wi-Fi is harmful to human health is of interest to many. Indeed, in the modern world, people cannot imagine their existence without the Internet.

In order to be able to use the World Wide Web anywhere, a wireless method of data transmission called Wi-Fi was invented.

Now you can connect to the Internet wherever it is more convenient. But is it really that useful?

About the Wi-Fi router

In order to distribute a communication signal, a special network device was created. It is called a router or router.

Wireless data transfer and computer connection occurs using radio waves. The principle of operation is similar to the operation of cell phones and radio stations.

The difference is that the Wi-Fi router operates at a higher frequency, which allows you to transmit and receive a large amount of information.

To use wireless communication, you need a router that has a built-in signal reception and transmission module. The same device must be present in the computer.

The router is connected to the Internet via a wire. When receiving information, the device converts it into radio waves, which it transmits to the receiving device (computer or laptop). The PC module receives the signal and makes it digital. The same thing happens in reverse. It is worth noting that the router can distribute a signal to several devices.

However, when transmitting a signal wirelessly, a certain magnetic field is generated, which means that there is a certain radiation to a person. Therefore, sooner or later, any person has a question about whether Wi-Fi is harmful?

Why wifi radiation is harmful to health

Any radiation in large quantities is harmful to human health. As for Wi-Fi, the opinions of many scientists are divided. Some argue that constant exposure to such a signal disrupts the functionality of the body. And others say that it is quite weak, so there is very little harm from it. And who is right in this dispute, and what harm does wi-fi actually cause?

The operating frequency of the router is 2.4 GHz. During its effect on the human body, molecules of water, fat and glucose begin to interact more closely, which leads to an increase in temperature. If such exposure lasts for a long time, then irreversible processes are triggered in the body.

In addition, it is worth noting that electromagnetic radiation is stronger, the larger the area of ​​its influence and the speed of information transmission. This, for example, happens when downloading a “heavy” file. In this case, the harm from the spread of the electromagnetic field is much greater.

Urban residents are affected by Wi-Fi waves almost constantly. After all, routers are currently installed in almost every home, in various establishments, and shopping centers. Many users do not turn off the device even at night, so the radiation continues around the clock.

Based on the results of some studies, doctors concluded that the wireless signal affects some body systems.

Organ systems:

• Brain vessels. After conducting the study, it was found that with prolonged exposure to such a signal, vasospasm occurs, problems with memory and concentration appear. However, it should be noted that the experiment was conducted with school-age children, and their skull bones are thinner than those of an adult.
• Many doctors talk about the dangers of Wi-Fi for a child. However, there are no scientifically proven facts. But parents should pay attention to their child if he spends a long time near the computer, replacing live communication with him. In this case, we can talk more about the dangers of radiation not so much from the router as from the PC.
• Another study was conducted using male sperm. It was noted that in a test tube that stood near the computer for some time while downloading files, twenty-five percent of the sperm were dead. However, when we repeated the experiment, when the Internet was connected via a wire, the result was the same. Therefore, it is wrong to say that wi-fi is to blame. Rather, the culprit is general electromagnetic radiation.

As you can see, there is no exact data that Wi-Fi harms the body. However, it should be remembered that the radiation, although small, is still there. Therefore, certain precautions must be taken.

How to reduce radiation from a wifi router

What can be done to ensure that wireless Internet rays are safe for health? To do this, you must adhere to certain rules.

Rules:

• For home use, it is better to use wired Internet.
• The Wi-Fi router must be located at least forty centimeters from the workplace. By the way, if the device is located with neighbors, then the radiation from it is minimal.
• When working, do not place the laptop on your lap, and turn off the wireless Internet function on your phone if it is not in use.
• At home, the router should be turned off at night and at times when the Internet is not in use.
• It is better to install the router in a non-residential area, this way you can reduce the harm from radiation.

The most important thing is not to panic. After all, “smart guys” make great money from this by creating foil wallpaper and bedspreads with carbon threads that minimize the harm of wi-fi. If you use wireless Internet correctly, there will be no negative consequences.

Wi-Fi is harmful: is it dangerous?

Currently, a person is surrounded by radio waves from all sides. At the same time, people don’t even think about it. The apartments have a TV, or even more than one, a computer and a microwave oven.

And that's the minimum. But there are also radios and cell phones. But no one refuses these devices.

You should know that the power of a Wi-Fi router is 63 mlW, and that of a cell phone is one Watt.

In addition, a mobile phone is located much closer to the human body than a router.

Wi-Fi radiation, of course, causes some harm, despite the lack of precise evidence. However, you just need to be careful. This is especially true for parents of small children; you should not allow them to stay indoors with a router for a long time. Yes, and an adult needs to monitor the time of use of such devices.

Video: how harm is caused by WiFi

There are many opinions regarding whether Wi-Fi is harmful to our health or not. Wireless network connections, which can be used by a large number of people at the same time, are now available in almost all public places. Many of us have installed a router at home, as a result of which using the Internet is now easy and comfortable. But the more popular this technology becomes, the more controversy arises regarding its safety for humans.

Even if Wi-Fi is really harmful to health, no one will refuse it

To date, there are no clear conclusions regarding the harm, benefit or neutrality of Wi-Fi for the body. Because of this, many myths and fictions have appeared, and it is impossible to understand which of these are true and which are lies. Let's try to analyze all the issues related to the impact that a router installed in an apartment has on us, and for this we will start with the main thing - find out how it works.

How does Wi-Fi “distribute” an Internet connection?

A router with Wi-Fi technology “shares” high-speed access to the World Wide Web with other equipment using electromagnetic waves - it is because of them that controversy arose about the dangers of this technology.

Electromagnetic waves have been present in our lives for many years, because they were once used in radio receivers to transmit signals. Today, thanks to them, the operation of a large number of equipment has become possible - from laptops and mobile phones to a microwave oven.

How do electromagnetic waves affect the human body?

They affect the brain and central nervous system, so if the radiation is too strong, a person feels weak, headaches and irritable. Thus, there is a negative impact from electromagnetic waves, but is the Wi-Fi router itself harmful to human health because of them?

To answer this question, we need to analyze the specific properties of the specified device and compare it with other equipment that we use in everyday life.

We will focus on the following parameters of the Wi-Fi router:

• Radiation power.
• Radius of influence.
• Duration of use of the device and its location.

The frequency of the router is 2.4 GHz - the same as that of a microwave oven, but the latter is much more harmful to health. Why? It's all about power - for this household appliance it is tens of times higher, it is this indicator that determines the effect of radiation on a person. In the same way, we compare a router with a mobile phone - the power of the first device is measured in mW, but for a cell phone it is at least 1 W, which is several times higher. Thus, the radiation power of a Wi-Fi router is insignificant compared to other equipment.

Pay attention to how Internet equipment is located in the house. Since we use access to the global network without being tied to a router, the radiation power is divided in proportion to the distance to you. We put the same smartphone directly to our ear when talking, so it has a greater impact on our health and is more harmful, since many of us make quite a lot of calls during the day.

It matters how much time we usually use a device - sitting on a laptop all day will affect us worse than a two-minute conversation on the phone. Therefore, everything depends not on the presence or absence of radiation in any technology, but on how wisely and moderately we use it.

Therefore, when someone talks about the dangers of Wi-Fi, this is due to electromagnetic waves - they really have an effect on a person, but we have already found out that due to the low power of the router, the radiation is insignificant, especially compared to other equipment.

What does science say about the dangers of Wi-Fi?

Many studies and experiments have been conducted around the world to find out whether Wi-Fi is really harmful to health, but it has not yet been proven. However, no one has been able to find arguments that this technology is harmless to the body, so it is impossible to definitely ban or allow its disposal.